This invention relates to mobile computing and communication.
Personal digital assistants, mobile telephones, and other mobile devices offer a wide range of computing and communication capabilities. To provide these capabilities, mobile devices have hardware complements that may include microprocessors, memories, displays that are in some cases touch sensitive, microphones, speakers, keys, and other user input and output mechanisms.
A variety of specific functions are often provided on mobile devices, including data entry, handwriting recognition, speech recognition, voice and data communication, memo writing, calendars, word processors, spreadsheets, to-do lists, and address books. These functions are implemented in software or firmware applications that are stored on the devices and use the features of an operating system such as Microsoft Windows CE or Palm OS that runs on and controls the hardware components of the mobile devices.
Mobile devices that are capable of wireless communication typically comply with one or more of the standard wireless communications protocols such as Bluetooth and the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP).
Bluetooth, for example, uses radio frequency transmission for relatively short-range communication. Bluetooth capabilities may be implemented in a small microchip that is incorporated into the mobile or other device.
To create an application for Bluetooth-capable devices, a developer typically writes custom software that implements the particular features of the application. A piece of custom software must be written for each of the devices that are involved in performing functions of the application on either end of each Bluetooth communication link. Each piece of custom software is written to conform to the peculiar hardware and operating system characteristics of the device on which it will run.